Dems buck Obama on terror trials

New York politicians were able to kick the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial out of Manhattan, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that not a single member of Congress wants the trial held in their home town either.

A growing coalition of lawmakers are saying “not in my back yard” to the terrorism trial, as even the most loyal Democrats are moving to block funding for any civilian trials. The pushback may represent yet another congressional rebellion against a high profile Obama White House terrorism decision, proving that even a persuasive president can’t overcome the power of local politics.

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“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure they don’t point at western Pennsylvania as a possible venue,” said Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.). “We are all united, going to voice our opinion, both at the state level and at the congressional level.”

Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa.) is also opposed to having the trials in Pennsylvania and “has made that sentiment known to the Justice Department,” spokesman Larry Smar said. Pennsylvania has been among the regions floated for such trials because Flight 93 on 9/11 went down in the western part of the state.

Altmire, who occupies a swing district and has bucked his party on key votes like healthcare, is already facing Republican attacks on the issue. The National Republican Campaign Committee accused Altmire of backing the civilian trials, even though he voted for an amendment that would have stripped the Justice Department of the money it needs to hold the trials.

These politics are playing out in several regions around the country, from western Pennsylvania to northern Virginia and other potential locations for a 9/11 trial. The National Republican Congressional Committee plans to use the issue to target Democratic Reps. Bill Foster and Debbie Halvorson in Illinois, Scott Murphy and Michael McMahon in New York, and Kathy Dahlkemper in Pennsylvania. The Obama administration is considering using an Illinois prison to house other detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is leading Democrats’ charge against the trials in the Senate. Webb favors military commissions, and he says Virginia lawmakers will be opposed to having a civilian trial in Alexandria.

“We will be saying more about it,” Webb told POLITICO. “I don’t think we’d have any trouble getting support from at least most of the delegation that that’s a bad idea.”

Municipal leaders have already played a major role in trying to quash the idea of civilian trials. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the opposition to the Manhattan trial idea – and his congressional delegation quickly followed.

Alexandria Mayor William Euille has already sent a letter to Webb asking for help keeping the terrorist suspects out of Alexandria’s prison. When convicted 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui was tried in the city’s federal courthouse, the security costs skyrocketed and the neighborhood was adversely affected.

“It will be difficult to accommodate a series of high profile trials of Guantanamo Bay prisoners without major traffic disruption to residents, workers and visitors at a significant cost to the city,” Euille wrote.